Illusion

Chapter 16

Avery's POV

My tired eyes gradually open as I'm pulled out of my slumber from my alarm. I yawn deeply, feeling sleep start to tug me back under. The loud noise continues to sound throughout the early morning and I groan internally, debating whether or not to just let it ring.

My irritation with the beeping wins out and I shove my covers down aggressively, suddenly pissed off about my early wake up start. My hand connects with the little clock, hitting the button to turn off the alarm.

My body feels slightly sticky and I faintly remember waking up to my heart beating rapidly. I sigh defeatedly, another nightmare.

I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, not wanting to dwell on something that would never change. I hug my arms around my body, feeling the slight chill of no longer being engulfed by warmth.

My feet patter over to the bathroom, making me wince when they land on the cold tiles. I quickly turn the shower on, yawning once again as I wait for it to warm up. Steam starts filling the room and I quickly undress, stepping into the heavy stream of boiling water. My head tilts back and I let the water slide down my body, waking me up slightly. I grab the shampoo and lather it onto my hair, squinting my eyes shut.

My hands weave through the roots of my hair, but my mind begins to drift. I have no idea what this impromptu trip will hold. Will it be dangerous? Will I have to talk to anyone? Anxiety begins rippling through me as my mind whirls with possibilities. My thoughts collectively halt, being overpowered by one significant thing. Harry.

Green eyes swim through my mind, as I contemplate what spending this prolonged period of time with Harry will entail. I doubt we'll even get along, it's not like he actually wants to spend time with me anyway. I definitely don't want to spend time with him. He's been nothing but rude, arrogant and slightly possessive for some unknown reason. Oh, and he forced me to join the deadliest and most secretive gang in the world.

I list these things off in my head, feeling the last dregs of shampoo rinse out of my soaking hair. My stomach pangs with guilt. I mean, he did say that he would protect me, and by being a part of Illusion would guarantee that. And last night... he seemed different somehow. I shake my head to clear my hectic thoughts, not wanting to dwell on Harry any longer.

I turn the tap off, feeling my skin run cold from the change in temperature. I hastily step out and wrap my towel around myself, wringing my hair through my hands. I step up to my bathroom mirror, wiping the condensation off the glass. My eyes look drained, portraying the tiredness I feel inside. I grab my toothbrush and toothpaste, squeezing the minty substance onto the bristles. I begin brushing my teeth, feeling the mint invade my senses. My mind immediately gets swept back to those green eyes, the ones that always seem to be lingering in the back of my brain.

I slam my hands down onto the marble countertop, irritated by my inability to stop thinking about him. Keeping my toothbrush secured in my mouth, I stomp back out into my bedroom, grabbing a pair of comfortable light wash jeans and an oversized black hoodie, throwing it onto my bed. I let my towel drop, quickly chucking on some underwear and a black lace bralette, and slip into my jeans, bouncing around as I tug them up.

I track back over to the bathroom, still just in my bra, and collect my hair into a bunch with one hand, leaning over the sink and spitting out the excess toothpaste. I quickly wash my mouth out and chuck some deodorant on, grabbing the toiletry products and throwing them into a small bag.

I plug my hairdryer into the power socket, letting my hair curl into its natural waves, running my fingers through it to rid it of any knots. I quickly apply some light lipgloss and mascara, suddenly hearing my phone buzz on my bedside table. Shit, I curse to myself, I'm not ready yet.